Hide and Seek
by liz1967
Summary: What if M wasn' really dead. What if she issues a challange he simply can not refuse. my first fan fic please be kind.
1. Chapter 1

HIDE AND SEEK

It was a cold gray day and as his New custom 007 found himself kneeling next to the marble headstone of his former boss. In general it was a rather plain marker which simply read OLIVIA MANSFIELD G.C.M.G. 1933-2012. At lease Mallory didn't lie, she was given full honors which was only fitting considering her years of service to Queen and Country. He was just back from his most recent mission and although he had already been formally debriefed by Mallory , Bond didn't feel complete until he had discussed the mission fully with M, His M, and since breaking into her flat, as had become their customary way of ending a mission, was no longer an option this seemed to be the next logical thing to him.

"M" he said quietly looking at the headstone. "You may be surprised to know that it is possible for me to complete a mission with "minimal collateral damage" according to Mallory, however, I think minimal is a rather relative term. I only managed to blow up 3 vehicles this time around and Poor Q is beside himself due to the fact that although I returned most of the equipment it's not exactly in usable or recognizable form. I know I can hear it now "Do I have any idea how much my escapades cost MI6?" well the truth is I really don't give a damn anymore. As for the mission I suppose it could be considered a success."

He continued to stare at the stone all the while tracing the name etched in its face

"It's just not the same without you. I know I've already been debriefed by Malloy but I needed to tell you about it just the same. I know I look like a fool sitting here talking to a headstone knowing full well you're bloody well not going to answer me but..."

"Then why do you continue to do it time after time..." was what he heard in a voice so familiar it made his hair stand on end

"Because it...wait a minute you're not supposed to answer back. You're a stone and stones don't talk" My god I'm losing my mind he thought to himself.

"Well if stones don't answer then why do you insist on coming here after every mission to talk to me?"

This can't be happening was all he could think, I'm talking to a bloody headstone and it's talking back.

"I come here because I miss you" he said in a quiet almost inaudible tone. "I miss our chats after my missions, I miss the dressing downs I usually deserve, I miss our discussions about my carelessness, my lack of respect for your authority, my misuse of agency funds...Oh hell I miss YOU" he said as he leaned his head against the cold stone.

He suddenly felt a small hand on his shoulder as he continued tracing her name on the marker. When he looked up he saw a small hooded figure standing next to him. As he stared at the person not able to see their face due to the scarf that was covering their head when a gentle breeze sent an all too familiar fragrance past his nose.

"M..." "Is it really you?" he asked in and almost cautious tone

The figure removed her hand and pulled back the scarf just far enough to reveal her beautiful blue eyes.

"It is you..." was all he could manage to say in a rather strained voice

"Well who did you expect?...The ghost of Christmas Past?" she answered with a small smile.

He stood up and looked down at her. She seemed somehow smaller than he remembered but still it was her and she was most definitely alive.

"But How?" was all he could manage to say

"Perhaps we should find a more suitable place for this conversation which, by the way, is most definitely NOT taking place" she said pulling the scarf back down to cover her face.

"Right..." he said still staring at her in utter disbelief. "We could go to your flat except it's been sold or we could go to the pub down the street or..."

"Why don't we go to your flat.. " was her response as she started to walk away. "Are you coming she said over her shoulder."

It only took a few minutes before they arrived at his flat, As he unlocked and opened the door for her he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she was alive. He kept blinking his eyes and pinching the back of his hand the be sure it wasn't a dream. Once inside he flipped on the lights and just stared at her as she took off her coat and scarf.

"Would you like to sit down?" he asked as he motioned toward the sofa

"Thank you" she replied as she took a seat. " I believe you said something about a drink if I am not mistaken"

"Of course would you like a single or a double?" he asked as he made his way to the liquor cabinet all the while never breaking eye contact with her.

"A single will be fine for me but I think you could do with a double." she said with a slight laugh.

As he returned to the sofa with the drinks he just couldn't help but stare at her as if she would vanish if he looked away.

They sat for some time before she finally broke the silence.

"You think I'm a ghost don't you? a figment of your imagination"

"Well the thought had crossed my mind" he replied as he finished his drink.

"Go ahead and touch me, see if I'm real" she said in a calm, soft non- threatening tone.

With that he reached out his hand and gently cupped her cheek and as he did she slowly reached up and placed her hand over his and leaned into his touch. He could feel the warmth of both her face and her hand against his and he knew it was really HER and SHE was really alive.

After a long silence he pulled his hand away from her and stood up and paced back and forth about the room for a moment, then came a long string of incomplete sentences that ended with his final statement as loud and clear as the day is long "YOU LIED TO ME. YOU DIED IN MY ARMS IN THE CHAPEL AT SKYFALL...CHRIST... I WATCHED THEM BURY YOU!"

She sat there completely still waiting to see if he was finished or just trying to form his next complete thought.

"James" she said in a soft yet firm tone " Please sit down so I can explain..."

"YOU have one Hell of a lot of explaining to do" he said as he sat on the opposite end of the sofa

"I never meant to hurt you" she said quietly turning to face him

"Well epic failure on your part" . he said in a disgusted tone " I've been sitting here for months blaming myself for getting you killed and all the while you've been off God knows where as if Nothing happened not giving a damn about me."

"That's not true" she said defensively

"Oh Really?" he retorted with a hint of bitterness in his voice

"If I didn't care about you just how do you suppose I knew I would find you at the cemetery?"

"Dumb Luck I suppose" he said flatly looking away from her " but that doesn't change the fact that YOU of all people LIED to me"

"James" she continued " I'm a spy...that's what we do in case you have forgotten" she answered " my "Death" was not meant to hurt you, it was meant to protect you." she started to continue but was quickly interrupted

"Protect me from what? From Who?" he said. the anger clearly showing in his voice. "I am a double 00 in case you've forgotten, since when do I need protecting?"

"When it was discovered that I was actually just barely alive it was decided that it would be safer for everyone if I just sort of disappeared. A kind of early retirement if you will." "James" she continued "I never wanted you to blame yourself" she said as tears began to form in her eyes "You did everything you could possibly do to keep me alive and safe and in the end you succeeded even if it doesn't seem like it."

"But I lost you in the process" he said choking back his own tears as he looked into her eyes.

"You didn't lose me" she said as she wiped her eyes "you said it yourself I'm all played out and it was time to go and this way there shouldn't be any retaliation officially I died at skyfall."

"Then why are you here?" he asked "Why didn't you just stay dead?"

"I needed to see you one last time to tell you goodbye properly, to tell you that, against my better judgment, I love you, I have always loved you and I will always love you."

"You can't just waltz in here tell me you love me and then just leave" he said as he moved closer to her on the sofa, but she put her hand against his chest and looked at him with perhaps the saddest look he had ever seen and said very tenderly" it is what it is James, and this is how it has to be." She choked back tears as she continued in a rather shaky voice. "You will just have to take comfort in the knowledge that for once good has triumphed over evil."

She continue in her all too familiar firm tone "007...just know that I am happy and alive because of you. don't spend one more day living in the past. you have a job to do. go make me proud."

With that M leaned in to James and took his face in her hands and gently placed a kiss on his forehead. She stood up to put on her coat and scarf and turned to him.

"I have to go now, and due to the circumstances we will not be able to see each other again."

"But why" He said as he got up and gently grasped her arm. "As far as anyone else is concerned you're dead, so as long as we were careful and we both know that we're both good enough to fly under the radar who would know?"

"It has to be this way." she said as tears began to form in her eyes

James quickly pulled her into his arms and held her a tightly as he could, burying his head in her hair. She let him hold her for a few moments before she pulled back to look him in the eye.

"I am going where no one will ever find me" she said as a tear slid down her cheek. With that she reached up and pulled his head down to her level and gently placed a soft kiss on his lips

"That's what you think" he said as a grin formed on his lips "You said it yourself. We're spies. Finding people who don't want to be found is what we do"

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	2. Chapter 2 I will always find you

I WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU

It had been several weeks since "M" had said her final goodbye to Bond. She could still see his heartbroken face as her cab pulled away from his flat. "It is what it is" she said to herself as she stared out the window of her new flat.

After her supposed "death" the first order of business was to find somewhere in the world to live. Asia and London were not an option as she was too well known to so many people. Eastern Europe and Turkey were also out of the question, too many agents, she might be recognized. She had thought about the U.S. for about a half a second but in the end she finally settled on the small coastal village of San Malo.

San Malo was a small village on the cost of France with long narrow cobblestone streets and tall stone buildings and a towering stone wall that stretched all the way around. It was said that the village was established by pirates or rather privateers as the liked to be called. It a bit more touristy than she liked but it had all the charm of Old London and a fantastic view of the harbor.

Mallory, bless his pointed little head, had somehow managed to arraigned for her to receive her pension which she would undoubtedly need since after all she wasn't really dead. Most likely he found a way to hide it under miscellaneous expenses so no one would notice. After all only the PM, Mallory and Bond knew she was alive.

M or rather Emilie Williams as she was now known had begun the task of settling in to her new surroundings. She chose the name of Emilie because it was so very similar to her most recent title so it wouldn't take much to get used to and Williams, well let's just say, it came to her in a dream. It didn't take long before the Women's Auxiliary began calling her asking her to serve on this or that committee. It was about a riveting as watching paint dry but she needed something to keep her occupied during the impossibly long dull days.

The day began the same way every day began. She got up early, ate breakfast, read what was supposed to pass for the newspaper and went out to stroll along the top of the great stone wall that surrounded the city. For lunch she would meet with a small group of retired ladies and listen the their endless stories of their children and grandchildren. Then she would finish off the afternoon walking around exploring the village. Every evening when she returned from the days adventure she would open the door half expecting to see Bond lounging on her sofa drinking her best single malt but so far not a trace of him was to be found. By late evening after she had finished her supper she would have showered, dressed for bed and settled into her armchair with a book.

"My God how impossibly dull it is to be a normal person" she thought as she turned the pages of her book, not really reading so much as scanning for Anything that might be remotely interesting.

"How do people do this day after day without going completely mad" she thought. She finally put down the book when she realized that she had turned the last page and only actually read about 10 words.

She rose to finish her new daily routine of attempting to sleep. M couldn't remember the last time she actually had a full night's sleep. It started out well enough she would climb into bed, pull the covers around her and close her eyes. That's when the nightmares would start. She kept replaying them over and over in her head. The explosion at headquarters, the inquisition at Whitehall, the final moments at Skyfall...James. Every night she woke up trembling with fear and drenched in sweat. She would turn towards the window and cry herself back to sleep thinking of all the pain she had caused. Tonight was n different. As she closed her eyes she said "Please keep him safe and help him to forgive me someday"

"You have nothing to be forgiven for" came a voice from across the dark room.

With that she sat bolt upright in bed and fumbled for the light.

"Bond" she said in a half frightened half irritated voice

"How the Hell did you get in here?"

"You know you really shouldn't leave the window open" he said with a wide grin

"Who the hell do you think you are Peter Pan" she said rather tersely "My flat is on the top floor with no balcony"

"Ah yes but is remarkable close to the roof" he said

"It figures" she replied in a bit calmer voice

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that we could not under any circumstance see each other again!"

as he walked across the room and stood next to the bed

"Well that's not entirely true. You said I couldn't see "M" again. You didn't say anything about me not seeing Emilie Williams"

"How did you find me" she asked

"I will always find you" he said has he leaned down to kiss her forehead.


	3. Chapter 3 Well here we are

**Thank you so much for the great reviews and the encouragement. And a special thank you fo RebaForever and Prosper the XVIII. You guys along with the Great Dame Judi Dench have given me endless ideas.**

Well here we are

"You knew perfectly well what I meant" she said in somewhat sarcastically as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Shouldn't you be off on a mission" she asked sounding slightly irritated as she settled back against her pillows

"No..Just got back actually" he answered

"I see" she said "I assume you have given Mallory the courtesy of properly debriefing you before you set off to completely disregard my orders and look for me?" she asked

"Of course ma'am"

"Don't ma'am me...You do realize I could have you shot just for being here" she said becoming more irritated by his smugness.

"No actually you can't" he answered with a mischievous grin. "You're not the head of MI6 anymore remember. You're an ordinary, law abiding citizen. So unless you intended on shooting me with a rubber band, I considered this a rather low risk mission"

"Bloody hell...I need a drink" she sighed

"Is that really a good idea at this hour" he asked rather curiously

"Since when have you been known to turn down a drink?" she responded dryly

"Perhaps you're right" she sighed as she let a small yawn escape.

"Tell you what" he said reaching to grasp her hand "Why don't we continue this discussion in the morning?"

"Fine" she said sounding almost defeated

As he stood up a small flash of pain crossed his face and her look of irritation quickly turned to one of concern.

"You've been injured" she said as she leaned forward to catch his arm

"It's nothing" he said somewhat casually "Only a few ribs and one puncture wound"

"And I suppose you haven't bothered to have it checked out"

"As a matter of fact I did, and you may be interested to know that they've put me on medical leave for the next two weeks" he replied almost sounding proud of himself.

"Since when do you go on medical leave?" she asked suspiciously

"Since I had something more interesting to do" he answered giving her a wink

"Which was" she asked knowing full well what the answer would be

"Finding you of course" he said with a smile.

"I see...Well now that you've found me just what do you intend to do?" she asked

"Well..It's 3:00 am" he said as he began to unbutton his shirt "Move Over"

A look of total surprise and something else he couldn't quite pin down flashed across her face as he continued to undress.

"What do you think you're doing" she said as her eyes began to widen

"Well it is a bed made for two is it not?" he said somewhat amused at her reaction

"Go to hell Bond" she snapped as she pulled the covers closer to her chest

"Thanks but I've already been there" he said as he began gently tugging the covers out of her hand

It was then that she realized she really couldn't argue the point any further. He was right he had been through hell, they both had so she begrudgingly moved over so he could climb in.

After he had settled in he turned to face her only to find her staring at the ceiling tiles which had suddenly become most fascinating to her.

"Well here we are" he said

"Yes here we are" was her answer "Now what?"

He moved to put an arm around her and pull her closer to him and to his surprise she didn't resist. As she laid curled up next to him with her head resting on his shoulder she began to relax and her eyelids became very heavy.

"You do realize that this is completely inappropriate behavior" she said in a rather sleepy voice

A few months ago I would have agreed with you" he said in between yawns

"I love you Em" he said as he began to drift off to sleep

"I love you too James" was her answer before she drifted off as well...


	4. Chapter 4 Are you sleeping?

**For RebaForever. I promised you an ATGB chapter... Hope you enjoy.**

Are you sleeping?

James was the first to wake the next morning. The sun was just beginning to filter through the window casting a faint amber glow about the room. He looked down to see "Em" still curled up beside him with her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest. He watched her sleep listening the her slow and steady breathing. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this content.

As she began to stir he continued to watch her intently waiting for her to open her eyes. As she did she looked up and held his gaze for a moment before she realized he had been watching her.

"What are you doing" she asked in a rather startled voice as she began to pull away from him

"Watching you sleep and listening to you breathe" he said with a smile

"Why were you afraid I would stop?" she asked

"No" he said "I just wanted to make sure you were alright"

"Well thank you but I was fine so you can stop watching"

"I rather like to watch you sleep you looked so peaceful and relaxed" he said somewhat amused

"Well I don't like people watching me while I sleep" she snapped

"How do you know they're watching if you're asleep" he asked as a smile started to form on his lips

"Look i'm not ready for this sort of discussion" she said sounding slightly irritated

"You are rather cute in the morning" he said as he tried to suppress a small laugh

"No I'm not" she snorted "I'm anything but cute. Cute is for puppies and babies and I am neither"

"Well now that you are awake are you still fine?" he asked with a hint on concern in his voice

"Reasonably" she replied "Why do you ask?" she said as she settled back down to rest her head on his shoulder

"It just seemed as though you were having a restless night is all"

"Well all things considered I mean nightmares, an intruder and having to share my bed with someone who snores who wouldn't have a bit of a restless night" she answered with a grin as she gave him a gentile squeeze

"Well seeing as we are now both awake are you hungry?" she asked shifting herself up so she could see his face

"Now that you mention it I suppose I am a little" he said brushing a few stray hairs from her forehead

"Alright I'll see you in the kitchen" she said as she got out of bed and put on her dressing gown

"There are clean towels on the shelf in the bathroom if you would like a shower" she said as she headed out the door.

He laid in bed a few moments just smiling to himself. He had never seen M so domestic. In fact she had told him once that she could blow people to bits from half way across the globe with her little finger and yet still couldn't figure out how to work an ironing board.

After he had showered and dressed James went to find Em who was busily destroying her small kitchen. Apparently she was searching for the ever elusive frying pan.

"Can I help you with anything?" he asked sincerely as she continued to slam one cabinet door after another

"No I'll be fine" she answered in a rather short tone "I know it's here somewhere" she continued

"What is it that you're looking for?" he asked rather cautiously.

"Well if you must know I am looking for the blasted frying pan...they don't just disappear by themselves...I know I saw it the other day..." she just kept muttering to herself

He had seen this determined look before and knew better than to interfere.

"Would it by chance be small, sort of round and black with a long Handle?" he asked

"Yes...why?" she said as she stopped to glare at him

"Well I believe if you look to your left you will see an object fitting that description hanging just above the stove" he answered trying ever so hard to conceal a grin that was beginning to form across his face

"Wipe that stupid grin off you face this instant or I'll drop you where you stand" she said sounding rather aggravated

"Now what would you like for breakfast?" she asked is a slightly calmer tone

"Oh I don't know I guess tea and toast will do" he answered

Em firmly slammed the frying pan down on the counter and glared at James and replied "FINE... the toaster is on the counter have at it. I am going to have a shower" With that she stormed out of the kitchen toward the bedroom and slammed the door.

James couldn't' t help but laugh as he put the bread in the toaster

"It would appear that domesticity is not her forte" He said to himself as he waited for his toast.


	5. Chapter 5 A serious situation

**Had to have at least one other semi serious chapter...**

A SERIOUS SITUATION

After she had showered and dressed Em returned to the kitchen to find James waiting patiently at the table

"Feeling better" he asked sounding a little concerned

"Yes.. thank you" she replied as she sat down "I want to apologize for being so ratty earlier, It was uncalled for" she said

"It's alright" he said reaching over to grasp her hand "I really did appreciate the thought"

"James" she started in a firm but calm tone "I need to ask you a question and I need you to tell me the whole truth"

"You think I would lie" he answered sounding almost hurt

"James... This is serious" she said raising her voice a little

"Alright " he said "Fire away"

"How exactly did you find me" she asked in a very serious tone

"I'm a spy and finding people who do not wish to be found is my job and near as I can tell you trained me well" he said smugly

"James do be serious this is very important" she said as she reached up to rub her forehead

"Alright" he said sitting up a little straighter

"Only two people know of my existence and I am absolutely positive that neither of them would have told you, which can only mean one thing...You had help and I need to know who that person is" she said as her eyes narrowed to look at him

"Does it really matter how I found you" he asked looking back at her with a quizzical look

"Yes...Yes it matters a great deal" she said emphatically "If this accomplice is ever discovered it could have far reaching implications" she continued as she pulled her hand out of his grasp "In this business Trust means everything, You above all people should realize this and without Trust there is nothing"

"You don't have to worry" he said calmly "My accomplice is completely trustworthy"

"Bond" she said in a sharp tone. The fact that she referred to him the way she would have any other agent did not go unnoticed "In a way whether you realize it or not this is a matter of National Security. It could be considered treason to reveal secrets of this nature so you must tell me now WHO helped you?"

James sat for a moment not saying anything as if her were pondering her question

"Well...I'm waiting" she said in an almost parental tone

"Q...Q helped me" he finally said "He reactivated the tracking device that was implanted in your arm for about twelve hours"

"Oh Brilliant...so I'm back on the grid" she said sounding rather disgusted

"And' he continued

"What do you mean AND you mean there's more" she said as her blood pressure began to rise and her eyes began to widen

"Well you said you wanted to know who else knew"

"JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW" she said almost shouting at him

"Only Tanner...I needed him to sweet talk the bean counters so I could pin down your exact location" he said defensively "They love you M they would never betray you" he said softening his voice a little

"Oh fantastic..Well it won't take long before Mallory figures this out" she said with a slight edge

"Oh I don't know he is still busy after all doing some damage control for my latest mission" James said with a small smile

"James do at least try to be nice to him" Em said softening her tone. "He really isn't such a bad person, after all he did allow me to live" she said looking at James anticipation the slew of questions that were sure to follow

"What do you mean he Allowed you to Live?" he asked

"He was there when the medics found my pulse weak as it was" she said in a much calmer tone

"Go on"

"It was Mallory who insisted that they do everything in their power to keep me alive"

James just sat there staring at EM stunned by what he was hearing

"It was Mallory who saw to my recuperation and arraigned for my secret pension, my new identity.."

"Mallory?" was all he could manage to say in a shocked tone

"Yes Mallory" she replied "So you can see You and I actually owe him a great deal. The last thing I told him" she continued "Was that if he could gain your trust he would have your loyalty...Don't disappoint me Now."

"Well I'll be" he said slightly grinning "and he accused you of being sentimental"

"So you see your being here had greatly complicated matters"

"So it would seem" he said the seriousness returning to his voice

"If this little "Mission" of yours were to ever be discovered, it wouldn't be just Q and Tanner who's loyalty would be called into question it would be Mallory as well"

"I see" he said still trying to digest all that he had just been told

"So what do we do now?" he asked apologetically

"The only thing we can " she said almost emotionless "First you will disable this blasted tracking device. I assume you know how to do this since you've done it to yours often enough" she said looking intently at him "Second you will return to your duties at MI6 and third I will relocate again only this time you will not attempt to find me"

after she had finished James just sat looking there as though he had just been kicked in the stomach

"There has to be another option" he said quietly searching her face for any trace of emotion

"I'm afraid not." she said with a sadness in her voice as she looked away

James rose from the table and walked around to Kneel beside her gently turning her head to face him.

"Can we at least spend the remainder of my medical leave together?" he asked quietly

" I suppose " she said as she reached to cup his cheek " By the way... I've seen your injuries" she said almost matter of fact. "They hardly warranted a 2 week medical leave...Just how did you arrange to be off?"

"A few kind words to the very pretty doctor.." he said with a wink

"You should try it sometime. It does wonders when you really want something" he added with a laugh

Em just glared at him for a moment before shaking her head replying "Only You"

As they both stood up James stood behind Em and put his arms around her pulling her close and whispered in her ear

"Since we only have a few days there's someplace I want to take you" he said as he pressed a light kiss to her temple "I have another matter I want to discuss..."


	6. Chapter 6 Just hold my hand

**For RebaForever15...I promised i would send them somewhere beautiful. I just hope I did it justice with the description**

**And to Prosper the XVIII You didn't really think I would let him just leave did you? :) and A special thank you to Dame Judi herself as she practically wrote the whole bit about the relationship herself just by answering one question in an interview.**

Just hold my hand

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze coming off the water. A most perfect day for an outing she thought to herself as she walked down the stairs to the street below to meet James, who had somehow managed to arraigned for a car to take them the this mystery destination.

As they drove along the causeway Em could just make out what appeared looked like a small mountain off in the distance. As they drew nearer she could clearly see it wasn't a mountain at all but rather some sort of castle high on a large rocky hill.

"Is that where we're going" she asked rather inquisitively

"Maybe" he said with a hint of mystery in his voice

Once they were close enough Em knew right away what it was. Mont St Michel, One of France's most recognizable landmarks. The rocky tidal island, located at the mouth of the Covesnon river near Avranches was perhaps one of the most beautiful sights on the coast of France. The island was a monastery, a fortress, a port and a family home with an enormous granite abbey built at the summit.

Once they had parked the car they entered the main gates and it was like stepping back in time and thus began their long and arduous journey to the top. The narrow cobblestone streets were lined with towering granite buildings filled with shops and hotels and maneuvering through what seemed like thousands of people was quite challenging but James seemed to manage keeping a firm but tender grip on Em's hand as he did.

After they had made their way through the lower part of the city they came to the foot of a wide stone staircase of some 350 steps called the Grand Degre` which led to the magnificent Abbey perched high above the city.

As they began the long climb to the top Em kept stopping briefly to catch her breath as the steps were quite steep and it was becoming quite warm as the sun rose higher in the sky. James waited patiently for her and as he did he just kept looking at her completely transfixed by her beautiful blue eyes, her soft white hair, her infectious smile that could light up any room, although she wasn't smiling presently, when suddenly his thoughts were interrupted

"James" she said somewhat breathlessly

"How much further?" she asked. Silently praying that he would say "It's just round the next turn"

"Well" he began as he took out the map he had been given at the entrance "It looks to be about another 250 steps... give or take" he replied with a grin

"Oh.." she said leaning against the enormously tall granite wall wiping the beads of sweat that had begun to form on her forehead

"Are you alright?...Do you need to sit down?" he asked suddenly concerned as he put his arm around her in an attempt to help her sit.

"No...No I'll be fine" she said in a rather defiant tone while placing her hand on his chest "Just give me a minute."

"We can slow down you know...I mean it's not a race" he said smiling hoping to coax a smile from her.

"No... I'm alright lets press on" she said with what seemed to be a renewed sense of purpose as she started up the staircase.

When they finally reached the top they were met with the most stunning views of the area surrounding the island. At present the tide was out and it almost seemed as if they were standing on top of a giant sandcastle.

Em was elated to find a small stone bench near a beautiful flowering bush with a wonderful view of the landscape below and proceeded to sit down in order to catch her breath.

As they sat on the bench Em could feel the tension beginning to build. She wasn't sure but she had an idea of what James wanted to talk to her about and quite honestly she wasn't quite sure how to respond. She knew she loved him and he her that point was clear, however, under the circumstances a relationship was all but impossible not to mention the age difference. That posed an entirely different set of problems.

They sat in companionable silence for quite some time before James turned to look at her taking her hand as he did.

"Emilie" he began. She realized it was the first time he had used her "New" name and it seemed strange but nice to hear him say it

"Emilie...I want to talk to you about us...I mean where we go from here?"

She looked down at their hands with their fingers intertwined, hers so incredibly small compared to his, as he continued.

"I don't know what this is exactly but I want you to know that I love you with all my heart and I want you in my life regardless of the bloody circumstances"

"James" she said with a slight edge to her voice "We've been over this already. This whatever it is simply cannot be"

"I love you Emilie Williams or whatever you choose to call yourself and nothing and no one will ever change that. I suppose I always did in a way and it took almost loosing you for me to see that"

"I love you too James and putting aside our current situation for the moment, it just couldn't possibly work out" she said apologetically "I'm an old woman..."

"No you're not" he interrupted

"Let me finish" she said in an almost parental tone "I an older woman and you are a much younger man with so much life left to lead. I can't possibly give you what you want, need or deserve... I just can't. It wouldn't be fair to either of us" she said with a great sense of sadness in her voice

"What I want..no...what I need is to be with you" he said sounding almost insulted

"You need to be with someone closer to your own age because let's face it, I cannot compare to your normal fare in bed or otherwise...I just can't" she said as she looked away with her voice barely above a whisper.

"You act as though sex was the only important part of a relationship" he said slowly "Well it just so happens that even I the "Blunt instrument" am smart enough to know that a relationship doesn't have to be a great, passionate sexual affair" he paused for a moment searching her face for any sort of reaction before he continued. "Em romance isn't just about passion. It's about knowing that at the end of the day there is someone waiting for you who loves you, someone to laugh with, cry with, hold your hand someone..." he was about to continue when she abruptly stood up and walked over to the stone wall to look out over the incoming tide.

She didn't want him to see her as the tears began to fall leaving streaks down her face. James , a bit confused by her sudden behavior slowly got up and walked to stand behind her placing his hands around her waist and pulling her into a loving embrace.

"Is this really what you want?" he asked. The pain clearly showing in his voice

"No" she managed to say in between her silent sobs

"What is it you are so afraid of?" he asked as her turned her around to face him

She played with the buttons on his shirt, unable to meet his gaze until he reached down and gently tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

"I'm afraid of losing you" she said quietly as she closed her eyes "I'm afraid that if I let myself love you I will lose you whether it be to a mission or another woman..." she broke off mid sentence.

Before she could continue James leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips and to his surprise she responded.

"You could never lose me" he said as he broke the kiss

"I read a poem once that says exactly what I'm feeling" he said as he continued to hold her

"Let me see if I can remember it. " When we go to the park she hold's my hand, She tells me things I don't understand, She tells me things about her past, She explains with love to make them last, and though she is proud and so very grand, I am content just holding her hand"

When he had finished he pulled back just far enough so he could look into her eyes again.

"I am you know" he said softly

"You are what?" she asked holding his gaze

"I am content just holding your hand" he answered tenderly placing a soft kiss to her temple

"But what if..." she started to say but she was quickly interrupted

"What if..." he said with a note if irritation "Two of the worst words in the whole of the English language. Apart they are both rather benign but together they cause a great deal of chaos"

"Yes but what..." she started to say again

"I am going to love you forever" he said as he pulled apart from her "So just get used to it!" and with that he took her hand and began leading her back down the endless steps that led to the car.

"Oh " he said turning to face her "If there is to be a tremendous amount of passion then fine and if we can only manage to hold hands I can live with that as well" Somewhat stunned by his last statement she followed close behind him so as not to get lost in the crowd.

Em was still trying to process his latest declaration as James was guiding her through the throngs of tourists when he suddenly pulled her close and whispered into her ear

"But I wouldn't be opposed to the tremendous amounts of passion" he said with a mischievous grin.

**No real need to acknowledge the author of the poem he recites since i wrote it myself when i was about 10. :)**


	7. Chapter 7 And now I disappear

**Special thanks to RebaForever15, LtcmdrLaverneMarie,GreenVelvetCurtains and Prosper the XVIII. You guys are my inspiration to keep going. Thank you SO MUCH. and to Prosper the XVIII Sorry about the cliffhanger but it would have been waaaaaay too long, but I guarantee you will like the next chapter.**

And now I disappear

True to his word James was content just holding her hand, although that didn't stop the cheeky little bugger from occasionally attempting to persuade her, Sometime rather successfully , for more.

For the time being they were happy and content and that was all that mattered, but they both knew that their happiness was about to come to an abrupt end.

It was four o'clock in the morning when Em heard the all too familiar and extraordinarily annoying noise coming from the bedside table.

"James" she said half asleep nudging him gently

"Hmm" was his only response as he proceeded to wrap his arm around her more tightly

"James...the phone" she said in a slightly louder tone

"Yes...I hear it" he replied rather sleepily

"Well answer the bloody thing then if you hear it" she said rather sharply this time as she opened her eyes trying to adjust to the lack of light in the room

"They'll call back" he said loosening his grip and rolling over

Now fully awake Em sat up and reached over him to grab the still ringing phone. As she did she looked at the screen which read blocked call. She knew immediately who was on the other end so she pushed the answer button and placed the phone in James' hand.

"Bond here" he said still in a sleep induced haze as he rolled to lie flat on his back

"Yes Sir...Never better..." he said to the person on the other end

"I see...That soon...Of course..." then he hung up still staring at the ceiling.

Well it had finally arrived. The day they had both been dreading. James turned his head to tell Em about the call and quickly discovered she had already gotten up and gone to the kitchen, so he went to join her.

"You didn't have to leave" he said lightly placing a kiss on the top of her head as he sat down

"I know" she said quietly while she stared at the table

"That was Mallory"

"I assumed as much...When do you go?" she asked still not looking at him

"I am to report for duty day after tomorrow or rather day after today" he said not able to hide the disappointment in his voice

"We both knew this day would come" she replied sounding rather emotionless

"I know" he said taking hold of her hand

"Before you go there is something I need you to do" she said letting go of his hand. She got up from the table and disappeared into the bathroom quickly returning with a pen knife, antiseptic and bandages.

"What's this for?" he asked looking a bit confused

"Before you go I need you to remove the bloody tracking device from my arm" she said in a suddenly very serious tone

"What...Hear at the kitchen table?"

"No...I thought I would pack a pick nick lunch and we could make a day of it at the beach...Of course here at the table" she said sharply

"Do you know where it is located?" he asked curiously

"Of course I do. I put it there didn't I" she replied dryly

"You can do it can't you?" she asked looking directly at him as she sat back down

Of course he could do it he had done it to himself often enough, but it was an entirely different matter to do this to EM.

"Do you have anything to dull the pain?" he asked hesitantly

"Well what to you usually use?" she asked sounding rather matter of fact

"I've personally always found scotch to be quite effective in these situations" he said with a half smile

"It's four A.M...I think I'll pass, Let's just get on with it shall we" she said placing her arm on the table.

James picked up the pen knife and took hold of her arm gently feeling for the area where the device should be located, then he made a small incision as carefully as he could so as not to hurt her. Em winced in pain and quickly looked away.

"Sorry" he said as he looked up

"Do be careful James. That's my arm you're carving into not a Christmas goose" she said sternly

He quickly found and removed the device and placed it on the table. After he had finished dressing her wound they both sat there in silence, staring at the tiny chip, each lost in their own thoughts.

She had never really been fond to the damn thing and even argued, all be it unsuccessfully, not to have it implanted, but that was an argument she eventually lost, and now that it had been removed she felt lost for the first time in her life.

"You ok?" he asked breaking her train of thought

"Yes" she said as she rose to take care of the bandages. "Thank you"

"What now?" he said following her thru to the bedroom

"Well...Now you return to you duties" she answered grimly

"And you?"

"And I disappear" she said with a finality that cut thru him like a knife

"What do you mean you disappear?" he replied sharply

"James...We've been over this a thousand times. Your "Mission" here is complete. You found me" she said trying to keep her composure as she took his hand and led him to the bench at the foot of the bed motioning for him to sit which he did begrudgingly.

"You've given me the most wonderful two weeks of my life and for that I am eternally grateful ...but now it is over"

"Grateful!" he said no longer to hide the anger and pain building inside him

"What do you want me to say?" she asked as she fought the tears which were beginning to sting her eyes

"You make it sound like I've just given you a bloody bouquet of flowers.."

"James! don't start with me I'm not in the mood for this right now" she said angrily

"Grateful" he said with a hint of bitterness "Well you can go to hell!" he said as he stormed out of the room.

Em sat on the bench for a long time as the tears flowed down her cheeks. This was quite possibly the most difficult conversation she had ever had with anyone let alone the man she loved.

The rest of the morning was spent pretty much in silence as they both tried to come to terms with their futures. By mid afternoon James was packed and ready to leave. Em was sitting on the sofa again lost in her own thoughts.

"Em" he said softy as he sat down beside her

"I am so very sorry about what I said earlier...Please forgive me. I didn't mean a word of it" he said sounding as if his entire world had just been shattered

"I know" she said taking his hand placing a soft kiss on the back

"I love you" he said as he put his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace

"I know...I love you too" she replied as she began to relax a bit

"I have to leave soon if I am to catch my flight"

"I know" was all she could manage to say

They sat there for a long time just holding each other before James finally rose to leave. As he walked to the door he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply and tenderly. When he finally broke the kiss he opened the door.

"I'll see you soon" he said giving her one last kiss

She just weakly smiled at him as he took off down the stairs.

"No" she said softly "You won't" and with that she closed the door.

To be Continued...


	8. Chapter 8Where there's a Q there's a way

**Sorry there's not a lot of M/Bond in this one but all will be revealed in the end :)**

Where there's a Q there's a way

A few hours had passed before EM heard a knock at the door. She had been expecting them and as if on cue there they were. Two men dressed in dark gray suits and sunglasses stood staring at her

"Mrs. Williams?"

"Yes" she replied eyeing them suspiciously

"Are you ready to go"

She had to admit Mallory was prompt if anything, but my God these two were about as inconspicuous as a flashing neon sign in a cemetery.

"Yes...just give me a few minutes" she said ushering them inside before disappearing into the bedroom to retrieve the last of her few belongings.

She quickly gave the room a final once over before turning to leave but as she did something on the bed side table caught her eye. There it was sitting proudly as ever. That damn Royal Doulton bulldog with the union jack wrapped around it.

"Well how did you get here?" she said to herself as she picked him up. Underneath him was a note which read "My dearest Em, just in case you get lonely... Love always James" she smiled to herself as she carefully wrapped the dog and placed him in the suit case before she closed it.

When she returned to the sitting room she found the tweedle twins exactly where she had left them.

"Wonder what these two Einstein's did to warrant high profile babysitting" she muttered to herself under her breath.

"Is that the last one? said tweedledee

"Yes" she said sounding rather annoyed

"This way ma'am" said tweedledumb motioning toward the door.

With that she headed toward the door slowly turning around for one last look, and then she disappeared.

THE NEXT DAY AT MI6 HEADQUARTERS:

007 Casually strolled into Mallory's outer office only to find Eve and Tanner in deep discussion while looking at the computer screen with complete bewilderment.

"Welcome back 007" said Tanner sounding slightly distracted as he kept pushing buttons yet clearly not getting the result he expected

"Yes...Welcome back James" said Eve looking up at him with a wide smile

"Thank you. Is he in?" asked 007 rather impatiently

"Yes... he's waiting for you, go right in" said Eve as she looked back down at her screen with a fair amount of disappointment showing on her face

James quickly entered the office closing the door behind him where he found Mallory waiting behind the desk which was stacked with files.

"007"

"Mallory...err...M"

"You look well rested" he said looking up from the report he was reading

"Yes sir"

"Are you ready to get back to work?" he asked rather cautiously

"With pleasure sir" replied James with a slight smile

"Good. I have a rather small but significant mission for you" said Mallory picking up a folder marked confidential and handing it to James

"And where will I be going this time" James asked as he began perusing the contents of the folder

"Not far this time" he said very matter of fact "Just across the channel to the coast of France"

James face seemed to instantly light up but he did his best to conceal his delight at the mere mention of France.

"Really sir and just what exactly is the nature of the mission?" James asked curiously

"Don't get too excited 007" Mallory said sternly "You're going along strictly as support , nothing more"

"What" said James sounding a bit taken aback

"Well, with you just back from recovering from your "Serious injuries" which required a full two week medical leave I thought you could do with a rather "Low Risk" training mission" he said sounding both amused and annoyed all at the same time

"So I am to be a glorified babysitter" said James

"In a manner of speaking so do try to set a good example will you" said Mallory with a slight gleam in his eye

Well James guessed he did deserve a dressing down of sorts, after all his injuries , in fact, really only consisted of a few scratches and a puncture wound from a push pin, but Babysitting... really?

"That will be all 007" said Mallory as he began the organize the papers on his desk.

"Thank you sir...By the way where exactly will we be going in France?" he asked as the curiosity was killing him.

"A small town near San Malo" said Mallory not looking up

"Very good " replied James as a smile formed across his face

As James turned to leave Mallory suddenly stopped him

"Bond..."

"Yes sir" said James as he turned to look at him

"Don't bother to look for her" he said pausing "She won't be there"

"Sir?"

"I know you've been with her...M I mean" he said bluntly

"I see" replied James as he eyed Mallory

"She has been relocated" he continued "It is for the best"

"I see" was all James could manage to say as he began to experience a multitude of emotions, so many in fact he couldn't begin to comprehend them.

"Is that all sir" he finally said after finally composing him self

"That will be all" he said in his usual flat emotionless tone

James turned to leave as Mallory stopped him once again

"And Bond..."

"Yes Sir" said James as he turned back yet again

"Please report to Q branch to pick up your equipment, You leave in two hours."

James left the office without so much as a word to Eve or Tanner and made his way down to find Q Branch.

When he arrived he found Q busily tapping away at his computer.

"Oh...007 good to have you back" he said not really looking up as he continued to work

"I have the equipment you will be needing. Nothing special this time I'm afraid just the usual gun, radio transmitter and the ever popular ear piece" he said pointing to the table

"Thanks" said James

"Happy hunting" said Q with his usual quirky grin

It was just then that James remembered something he had all but forgotten during the course of his most recent conversation

"Q...I need a favor" he said under his breath

"What is it this time?" said Q sounding ever so slightly annoyed

"Well I seem to have lost my dog . Could you be a good boy and find "IT" for me while I'm away" he said with a wink


	9. Chapter 9 Calm before the storm

**Sorry this one a bit short but you'll see why later. and Prosper the chips not in the dog exactly...HEHE**

Calm before the storm

After nearly three weeks of what seemed like absolute hell 007 was finally back in London and he was quite pissed off to put it mildly. "Just a small but significant mission my ass' he muttered to himself as he rode the lift up to Mallory's office, the anger building with each passing floor. When the door finally opened he had quite a full head of steam built up that needed releasing and Mallory was the intended recipient. 007 marched through the outer office barely acknowledging Eve as she sat at her desk.

"There's a storm coming" she said under her breath as he walked thru the door not bothering to knock

"Just what the HELL was that?" he said slamming the door with enough force to rattle the pictures on the wall

"007...Welcome back"

"I thought you said this was a "Low risk mission", That I was to be and I quote "strictly along for support and nothing more!", You knew this mission would go balls up from the start didn't you? and yet you still sent me out there with nothing short of a complete moron who is about as useful as a glass hammer and who by the way couldn't fire a gun if her life depended on it with absolutely no back up whatsoever except for you and Tanner prattling on in my ear piece every ten seconds like a couple of giddy schoolgirls...Just what were you thinking?"

"Calm down 007" said Mallory in an attempt to defuse the already explosive situation

"Calm down!" retorted 007 who was becoming more outraged with each passing second

"I'll have you know I nearly got shot on several occasions and not by the target I might add"

"But you did neutralize the target did you not?" asked Mallory in his usual dull, flat tone

"Yes Sir, but that's not the point" hissed 007

"Then the mission was a success"

"Sir, with all due respect you can frost a turd but that doesn't make it a birthday cake" he replied glaring at Mallory just waiting for the next idiotic official line that was sure to come out of his mouth next because he was ready to let him have it with both barrels

"Then well done" was all he said

"Well done?" said 007 "Is that all you have to say?"

"Yes. I believe that about covers it"

"Would you mind telling me just who this particular not so low risk target was?" he asked in a somewhat calmer tone

"That information is to be divulged on a need to know basis and for the time being you do not need to know" said Mallory with such an air of finality that 007 knew it was pointless to argue the point any further.

Disgusted with the answer 007 turned on his heal to leave

"Just so you know M...I work alone from now on" he said icily

As he left the office 007 headed straight for the lift dialing his phone as he walked

"Q...Bond here. I was just wondering if you have had any luck finding my lost dog"


	10. Chapter 10 Are we there yet?

**For RebaForever15..Thank you so much for the advice. I think it worked out beautifully and Prosper the XVIII I promised you a twist, hope it lived up to your expectations but be prepared for one final twist. Also thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments from EVERYONE they have been greatly appreciated and they have been a great source of inspiration.**

Are We There Yet?

"Well here we go again" thought Em as she looked around at her new surroundings. Her relocation had gone about as well as could be expected. The Tweedle twins, as she referred to them, had picked her up right on schedule and put her belongings into the incredibly small car and driven her to the airport where she was stuffed into a small plane not much bigger than a sardine can and they took off. No one bothered to mention just exactly where they were going and she highly doubted that the two genius' actually knew themselves as they spent an enormous amount of time on the phone asking for what appeared to be directions. When they finally landed her bags were unloaded and taken to the waiting car.

"Just a minute" she said "I need to get something from one of the cases before you put them in" she said tugging at the smaller case

She quickly opened the case and fumbled around for a few moments the closed the case again tossing something aside as she did

"Alright. I'm ready now" she said as she was ushered into the back seat

She wasn't exactly sure just where they were but judging by the landscape she assumed she was back in England, she just couldn't pin down a definite location. After about an hour of riding Em was thoroughly bored out of her mind. The conversation was anything but riveting consisting of monosyllabic answers from her two new "friends" and the scenery was so repetitive it was almost nauseating. Field...Trees...Field...Trees.. and oh look a cow...Trees and so on

Are we there yet?" she asked politely

"No Ma'am" was the response from the front seat

A short time later she repeated the question sounding very much like an annoying child on a long car trip

"Are we there yet?"

"No ma'am" was her answer yet again

This could turn out to be a lot of fun she thought to herself. After all annoying her two escorts was the only source of amusement at her disposal so why not take advantage of the situation.

"Are we there yet?" she asked a third time with a smile on her face as the car turned onto a small country lane which led to a large clump of trees.

"Yes ma'am, were here"

"Well it's about bloody time" she replied

"Home sweet home" she thought as she opened the door to the small cottage which was to be her "New" home except is wasn't really, it would never be home.

When the "Twins had left she set about to unpack her belongings which didn't take long. The last thing she unwrapped was her beloved little china bulldog. "Where to put YOU" she said gently cradling the figurine as she walked around the room. Although he was only made of glass it somehow brought her a great deal of comfort and she wanted to be sure and put it where it could be easily seen.

"My God this is boring" she muttered to herself as she looked around the room. "This actually makes boring look interesting" she thought "I've got to get a hobby before I come unhinged, Maybe crochet?" she thought

Mallory, bless his pointed little head, had thought of just about everything from a well stocked kitchen, to books and yes even some yarn and a crochet hook. "Why not" She thought "It can't be all that difficult." It only took the sum total of about five minutes before her frustration got the best of her and the yarn went flying one direction and the crochet hook the other. This was obviously not the hobby for her. Still she needed something to occupy her impossibly dull days.

It had been about three weeks of complete and total solitude and but for the radio she literally had no connection with the outside world. She had hoped, rather half heartedly, that James would somehow magically appear, but as she had discovered and discarded the tracking device, he had so carefully placed in the bulldog, at the airport she didn't hold out much hope of that happening anytime soon. As a form of not so much amusement as self preservation Em had discovered a small problem that proved to be a wonderful distraction. She had discovered that much to her dismay there were several woodland creatures that insisted on waking her every morning at the un-holy hour of 5:00 am. As a form of retaliation she found a long piece of plastic pipe in the out building and attached an aerosol can to the end creating what amounted to a very crude grenade launcher only this one only launched potatoes. So she basically spent her days on a firing range of sorts practicing her aim.

It was just about dusk and Em felt unusually uneasy for the first time since her arrival. She couldn't quite pin it down but something just seemed off. She stepped out the front door and saw what she always saw. Trees and due to the setting sun a tremendous amount of shadows but something was definitely different. Then she saw it, a very subtle movement just at the end of the walkway. "Oh no you don't!" she said disappearing back into the house only to return with her hand made potato gun. "I'm going to teach you little buggers to stay away from the front door for once and for all" and with that she took aim and fired. A rather loud thump followed by a loud squeal of pain stunned her. That was no woodland animal that was a human cry she thought. "Oh my god I've shot someone!" she shouted quickly dropping the gun and running to the moaning figure now sprawled across her walkway. When she arrived to her great horror she looked down at the face of the man she had just shot.

"Oh my God...James!" she shouted as she quickly dropped to her knees cradling his head in her lap.

"James...Can you hear me?" she kept asking gently kissing his forehead and searching for a pulse.

James started to come around and looked up at her and with as much energy as he could muster said" You've shot me AGAIN!"

It was true although the first time she didn't actually pull the trigger. But this time she did and it was a direct hit to his solar plexus causing to momentarily lose consciousness

"Oh my God James... I am so sorry... please forgive me I didn't know it was you" she said as the tears were streaming down her cheeks.

He reached up and pulled her down into a soft kiss "It's alright Em... At least you've finally learned how to aim" he said with a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. After a few moments he finally sat up leaning against Em as he did. "Well...aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked Mischievously "Yes...Yes of course" she said helping him up. After giving him a quick once over to make sure there weren't any further injuries then her concern quickly turned to one of total frustration and her smile quickly disappeared only to be replaced with a frown.

"What's the matter Em?...Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked as they entered the house.

"Yes of course I'm happy to see you" she said helping him to the sofa "But you're not supposed to be here!... How on Gods green earth did you find me this time?" she continued glaring at him "I found the tracking device in the bulldog and discarded it long before I arrived here which begs the question of just how it is that you are here?"

When she had finished, James got up from the sofa and crossed the room to pull her into a deep and lingering kiss. He only broke the kiss due to lack of air but when he did he looked into her eyes and said "I told you I will ALWAYS find you!" and then gently kissed her forehead.

"But how?" was all she could manage to say as she buried her head in his shoulder and held onto him as if her life depended on it.

He gently guided her to the sofa as he went to the liquor cabinet to pour her a drink. When he returned he sat down beside her with his arm around her pulling her close and resting his head un top of hers.

"What makes you think that the chip you found was the only chip?" he said with a small amount of amusement in his voice as he continued. "I knew you would find it straight away, that's why I put it there in the first place" he said pausing for a moment to look at her to try to gage her reaction "I knew you wouldn't leave the dog and I also knew you wouldn't think I could be stupid enough to remove my own tracking device and hide it in your luggage" he said with a fair amount of satisfaction. "So you see I wasn't necessarily looking for you, I was looking for Me" he finally concluded with a profound sense of pride at his creativity.

"Of all the stupid things I have ever heard this one takes the cake!" she said looking at him in utter disbelief. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you and I assume Q could be in?" she said shaking her head

"We shouldn't be in any trouble at all" he said smugly "I was away on a mission and as far as anyone is concerned Q was tracking me the whole time. Standard procedure. You of all people should know this"

She reached up and took his face in her hands and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "That's one of the many reasons I Love you" she said settling back into his arms, content to just let him hold her.

They sat there together for a long time just enjoying each other when James finally said thru a suppressed yawn, "It's been a very long and eventful day, shall we make an early night of it?"

"Yes." she replied with a smile "I think that is a wonderful idea."


	11. Chapter 11 An unexpected visitor

**Thank you soooooo much RebaForever15, Prosper the XVIII, LtComdrLaverneMarie and everyone else who has written words of encouragement. I have loved writing this and who knows there may be another chapter in the near future, We'll see...**

An unexpected visitor

James rolled over the next morning to find himself alone in bed. He could tell by the smell of coffee that Em was in the kitchen and quickly rose to join her. Em was sitting at the table drinking her coffee and staring absently out the window into the darkness of the early morning.

"Em...what are you doing up it's half past five in the morning?" he asked sounding a bit concerned

"I couldn't sleep" she replied quietly looking up at James.

"I see "He said pulling up a chair to join her

"We don't have much time" said Em as she rose to get another mug for James

"Well then what's the plan? I mean what's next?" he asked

"I honestly don't know" she replied flatly "Mallory is no fool, and it won't take him long to figure out that you know where I am and once he does I am sure to be relocated yet again" she said taking a sip of her now cold coffee

"What if I relocate you myself?" asked James

"Don't be absurd" she said rolling her eyes "He would find me in a second, he knows your every move, it's his job I should know as it was once my job" she said with a hint of irritation.

"It's none of his bloody business what I do when I'm not on assignment" replied James angrily, resenting the fact that he knew this to be true.

"True...but I AM his business albeit the messy bit" she said firmly

"So here we are" he answered in more of a statement rather that a question

"Right here we are"

It was then that both James and Em saw a bright light coming down the lane

"Who on God's green earth could that be at this hour?" she said more as a rhetorical question as she already knew the answer. James quickly disappeared into the bedroom as Em cleared away the second mug from the table. She secretly hoped and prayed it was just some idiot turning around but this was not the case and she knew it. It didn't take long for the dreaded knock on the door. Em, taking a deep breath and straightening her dressing gown slowly walked over to answer the door.

She wasn't at all surprised when she opened the door to find her two old friends the "Twins" staring back at her.

"Gentlemen" she said sounding rather irritated "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yes...as a matter of fact they do!" came a deep voice from behind them

"Mallory. What the hell are you doing her at this hour? she asked as the twins quickly stepped aside to allow Mallory access to the door.

"Well...It would seem that I have misplaced and agent and this was his last known location "he said "May I come in?"

"Yes of course" she said ushering him into the sitting room.

"You said you have misplaced and agent?" she questioned as she closed the door. "Just who might we be referring to?" she asked knowing full well to whom he was referring.

"You know exactly who so why bother to ask" he said dryly

"You can come out 007. I know you are here" said Mallory as he looked in the general direction of the bedroom.

James, now fully dressed, appeared from around the corner and went to stand beside Em.

"Now Mallory before you start, It wasn't entirely James fault" Em started to say

"So it's James now is it?" he said somewhat sarcastically.

"Yes, and before you ask, it was me that asked James to put my tracking device in the bulldog so that he could find me" she said defensively

"I never have understood the unusual connection you two seem to share but that is neither here nor there and more to the point it really doesn't matter that is not why I have come" replied Mallory eyeing them closely.

James and Em glanced at each other with a total look of bewilderment

"There are a few things that need sorted out, so if you could both take a seat we can begin" he said removing his coat and taking a seat opposite the sofa.

James and Em did as they were told sitting on the sofa with James arm protectively draped around Em's shoulders.

"Where to begin" said Mallory pausing for a moment "Well I suppose Skyfall would be a good place to start. There is really no reason to recap the events that took place as you were the only two agents present and it wasn't exactly a sanctioned mission. Suffice it to say the "Mission" was  
a success of sorts as Silva was eliminated and that should have been the end of the story, except is wasn't"

James and Em listened intently as Mallory continued.

"While the two of you were dealing with the whole Silva mess, several other threats were made against you as well. Apparently Silva had many friends, so when we discovered that you Em were in fact alive it was decided that for your own protection we would let the world assume you had died, at least until the additional threats could be found and neutralized." James and Em listened closely as Mallory continued. "Em, as you know, you were sent away to recover and 007 the PM and I decided that it would be best to let you believe that she had in fact died so that you could concentrate on the matters at hand without any distractions" Mallory paused first to take a breath and second to try to gage the emotions that were now beginning to surface, then he continued. "When you returned to work, although you were successful in completing you missions, you seemed unfocused almost lost. It was then that I discovered you had been visiting the cemetery regularly and I realized that unless you knew a small portion of the truth you would never let go of the past and be an effective agent, so I allowed Em to return temporarily in an attempt to help relieve you of your guilt." He paused for a moment and then continued "I knew you wouldn't just let her go which is why I never deleted her tracking device code. I wanted you to find her in France because I needed to "smoke out" for lack of a better word, the ones who still posed a threat, which by the way were also directed at you as well." Mallory stopped. He could clearly see the anger building in James eyes.

"So let me get this straight...You sent her out there, to France, alone with no protection, unaware of the danger and Hoped I would find her?"

Em just sat there looking first at James then at Mallory in utter disbelief at what she was hearing, pressing herself closer to James as she did so.

"What the hell kind of hair brained scheme was that?" said James now nearly irate.

"It was no more hair brained than you taking her to Scotland by yourself to take on Silva!" snapped Mallory

James really couldn't argue that particular point as he knew Malloy was right, but he did what had to be done at the time.

"Now let's just all calm down for a moment shall we" he continued

"Calm down!" shouted James

"James" said Em calmly "Let's just let him continue shall we"

"007. Em was never in any real danger" he started to say but was quickly interrupted

"Never in any real danger, She was Alone!" shouted James

"Well that's not entirely true" said Mallory turning his attention to Em who at this point was trembling from fear or anger she wasn't sure which at this point.

"Do you remember those incredibly boring ladies who droned on and on about their children and grand children, the ones you had lunch with nearly every day?"

"Yes" she said her eyes widening

"They were all agents, as well as, the annoying women from the auxiliary and even your grocer" he said softly

"All of them" she said her voice nearly a whisper

"Yes...All of them there to protect you and pull you out at the first sign of trouble"

"But why was I not told" she said sounding almost hurt

"We couldn't afford any security breaches, The cost was too high"

"So what happened to the so called protection." interrupted James "I never saw any of these so called agents. I only knew about the because of what Em told me."

"Once you arrived we knew Em was in the safest possible hands, She was with YOU, and you would have moved heaven and earth to keep her safe, so the agents were given other security duties, but they were never far away"

By this point in the conversation James was nearly speechless and Em was close to tears as she clung to James.

"I allowed you the two weeks leave in order that we might gather more information, but once we found that the target's were getting too close, I knew I needed you back so I called you in"

"Leaving Em alone again!"

"No. She was extracted less than two hours after you left and brought here."

"To the middle of nowhere, with absolutely no protection" replied James angrily

"Not true 007" said Mallory in an almost condescending tone. Did you really think that I would leave her here on her own?" he asked "She has more security here than Buckingham Palace. There are cameras and microphones everywhere to monitor her every movement, which by the way Em...Nice shot with the potato gun" he said with a wink.

James and Em exchanged a puzzled and then slightly embarrassed glance before returning their attention to Mallory.

"Don't worry you two there are no cameras or microphones in either the bedroom or the bath." said Mallory with a slight smile.

"Which leads me to my next point" he continued

"007. You asked me once just who all of these low risk targets were did you not?"

"Yes" replied James

"And if I recall correctly, I told you it was a need to know basis did I not?"

"Yes Sir you did"

"Well now you know. You were neutralizing the remaining threats" he said

"Not to put too fine a point on it Sir but you sent me out there with a complete moron who was just a noodle short of a stir fry, and it's amazing that I accomplished anything at all" he said rather sarcastically

"That moron as you referred to happens to be one of our finest agents. Her job was to keep your mind off Em and on the mission at hand which she did quite nicely I might add." he said

"Once the treats were eliminated, you were allowed to continue your quest to find Em yet again." he concluded.

"So you meant for me to find her" he said looking at Em

"Yes. I needed you both together so that all could be explained.

"So we were pawns used in a giant game of Hide and Seek" said Em icily

"So it would seem" replied Mallory "Bit it was necessary. I just hope you can both forgive me for deceiving you?" With that Mallory rose to leave

"So what happens now Sir?" asked James as he stood

"That is entirely up to the two of you" he said reaching for his coat

"I don't understand" said Em rising to stand next to James

"The world is your oyster so to speak" he said "You may remain here if you like or you may return to London and resume your life as the newly retired former head of MI6. The choice is yours." and with that he left

James and Em just stood in silence, staring at the door somewhat stunned by what they had been told. It was Em who finally broke the silence.

"Well what should we do?" she asked hesitantly looking up at James searching his face for an answer.

He pulled her into a tight, loving embrace and tenderly kissed the top of her head and said softly.

"Let's go home"


End file.
